Brightspeed vs. WOW Internet Providers Compared

Brightspeed's large network offers customers a planned transition from DSL to fiber

Brightspeed is a brand-new ISP that started its internet service to customers in October 2022. Brightspeed bought out many networks previously owned by CenturyLink. That purchase instantly made Brightspeed the 12th-largest ISP in the U.S. [1] The company’s mission is to bring fiber internet to as many customers as possible, as soon as possible. Brightspeed currently has gigabit fiber service up and running in six states. The internet provider plans to build out fiber to an impressive 3 million locations in the next five years [2]. Brightspeed’s goal to provide fiber to underserved areas is a worthy one. By creating more lightning-fast fiber infrastructure for those who don’t currently have access, Brightspeed will bring opportunity to at least 20 states in the Midwest, South, and on the East Coast. Customers will have ample support for remote jobs and responsive, smooth access to thousands of educational options online. All Brightspeed customers get the advantages of unlimited data and no contracts. Brightspeed also offers competitive, transparent pricing for their fiber plans. If customers are still on DSL, they will have to be patient with slower speeds while they wait for the fiber to arrive. The good news is that fiber is coming soon, based on the buildout plans.

Brightspeed offers a very good deal on fiber internet with simple and straightforward pricing

One of Brightspeed’s real strengths is transparent pricing. Currently, there are no data caps, and no required contracts, which means you won’t get hidden fees popping up on your monthly bills as you will with many other ISPs. Brightspeed internet plan prices are excellent for fiber internet. The best part is that there are no surprise price hikes after promotional rates, which is standard practice with other providers. With Brightspeed Fiber, you can count on consistent pricing that gives you a lot of speed for a very attractive monthly cost. Brightspeed DSL pricing is not quite as good a deal because a DSL user’s internet speed and performance will be so much lower. But Brightspeed DSL may still be your best option if you have no other available cable or fiber providers in your area. Brightspeed is an active supporter of the federal Affordable Connectivity Program. If you qualify for the program, which offers payment assistance for lower-income households, Brightspeed will match your ACP payment assistance. This very unusual benefit will result in your internet service being free of charge or almost free.

WOW’s prices are so low they’ll WOW you

If there’s any way that WOW! can claim to have truly earned its name, it’s with low pricing. The first-tier plan will give you 300 Mbps download speed for only $30 a month. That's on the very low end of cable ISP pricing. A lightning-fast, multi-gigabit speed of 5000 Mbps from WOW! will run you $185. That’s considerably cheaper than several other major cable providers’ multi-gigabit speed plans. WOW!’s lower-speed plans do have a couple of drawbacks that may increase their otherwise excellent prices. Those drawbacks are data caps and a $14/month modem rental fee. Fortunately, the equipment rental fee is optional, meaning that you can skip it if you provide your own modem/router instead. And the data caps are fairly high for the lowest-tier plans (1.5 TB/month) and very high for the 500 Mbps (2.5 TB) and 1 Gig (3 TB) plans. The high caps for the faster plans make it very unlikely that you will exceed your data caps. So, just don’t go crazy and have 40 gamers play at your house for a month. The vast majority of households will not ever approach the limits of a 2.5 TB data cap.

Brightspeed Fiber will offer premium gigabit speed and reliability, but DSL performance will vary

If Brightspeed Fiber is available in your area, you will be getting fiber’s well-known gigabit speeds as well as a fiber connection that doesn’t slow down or glitch. Brightspeed Fiber will equip you for any internet activities you like, including online gaming, videoconferencing, and HD streaming on multiple devices. Like most fiber connections, Brightspeed will give you symmetrical upload and download speeds—an amazing advance over previous technologies. If Brightspeed is still offering DSL in your area, your performance and speed will vary depending on your location. Your download speed and your upload speed with a DSL connection will be slower than with fiber internet. You also may have higher latency than you will with fiber or cable. You can check your actual speed with our internet speed test. In many areas where Brightspeed offers DSL, there is no fiber or cable option yet. So Brightspeed may still be your best bet. You can order DSL and look forward to your turn on Brightspeed’s fiber installation list. And with the rapid pace of their planned fiber expansion, you might be next!

WOW! cable is a fast, strong choice with gigabit download speeds but slower upload speeds

Internet performance from WOW! matches the stats of the largest cable providers in the nation such as Spectrum and Infinity. You will get fast speeds from WOW!’s high-end plans that will support streaming and gaming with multiple devices. The chief disadvantage of cable internet is that upload speeds are so slow compared to the symmetrical speeds of fiber internet. If you want to do large uploads or real-time gaming on 10 devices at once in your home, there’s no question that you’ll be better off with fiber’s lightning-fast uploads. But for most households with average internet usage, a fast cable plan like WOW! internet will be good enough.

Brightspeed offers advanced Wi-Fi in combo modem/router

If you order a Brightspeed Fiber plan, you will get free access to a premium Wi-Fi modem with Wi-Fi 6 technology. That advanced capability will give you 3 to 4 times faster connectivity. The modem will have greater data capacity and support extended battery life for in-home devices. (Your devices will need to be compatible with Wi-Fi 6 in order to perform at this higher level.) Modems that might come with your package would include the Actiontec C3000A, the Axon C4000, the Zyxel C4000, and the Zyxel C3000Z [3]. For some other Brightspeed plans, you may pay a $15/month equipment rental fee for your combo modem and router. Installation fees will also vary with your plan. You will get free installation for a DSL self-install or a technician installation of higher-speed fiber packages. A technician installation for DSL or a first-tier fiber plan will require a one-time $99 fee.

Equipment rental fees are optional, self-installation is free for WOW!

All WOW! plans come with a free self-installation kit. If for any reason you’re not comfortable with self-installation, you can get pro installation for $50. Though most plans will allow you to rent a modem/router from WOW! for about $14/month, you also have the option to supply your own equipment. This choice may be better for your budget if you plan to have service for more than a year. Just make sure you check with WOW! to be sure your router has compatible specs.

Brightspeed’s customer support is robust

Brightspeed receives 4 stars for Customer Service, with a promising beginning for a new company. Brightspeed provides a 24/7 chat interface for support as well as a helpline. The company also has a website with resources and FAQs to assist with simple questions. Some helpful features on the website include a troubleshooting & outage check, a tracker to tell you where your technician is, and a service appointment manager. A “quick bill pay” function will come in handy too. The Brightspeed Fiber network is very strong and is now producing a lot of customer satisfaction. With their rapid fiber buildout and commitment to customer service, we recommend Brightspeed as a good choice for your internet service, both now and for the future.

WOW! outperforms larger ISPs for customer satisfaction

WOW! offers the same customer support amenities as the largest national ISPs [4]. You will get an online portal to allow you to manage your account. Telephone help is available 24/7. Online chat is available every day between 7:00 AM and 11:45 PM EST. In the J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Residential Internet Service Provider Satisfaction Study, WOW! outperformed much larger ISPs such as Cox [5]. That strong performance indicates WOW! customers are pretty happy with their service.